Jac Caglianone ties NCAA record with home run
Florida’s answer to Shohei Ohtani, two-way star Jac Caglianone has etched his name in the NCAA record book with his ninth consecutive home run.
One of the hottest names in the upcoming MLB draft is Jac Caglianone. Florida’s answer to Shohei Ohtani, Caglianone is certain to go in the top ten picks this summer.
Now he has his name etched forever in the history books as he tied the NCAA record by hitting a home run in nine consecutive games. The streak began on April 7 against Missouri and came to an end on Saturday against Vanderbilt.
Over that stretch, Caglianone went 15-for-34 (.441) with nine home runs and 16 RBIs. On Saturday, with the Gators up 4-2 at Vandy, Caglianone was intentionally walked with a runner on second in the ninth inning. The Gators ended up winning 6-2 and Caglianone finished the day 1-for-3 and his streak came to an end.
In a bit of cosmic justice, Caglianone was the winning pitcher in the game, giving up six hits and two earned runs in five innings. On the mound, he is 5-0 with a 3.86 ERA in nine starts. He can touch the upper 90s and opposing hitters are just .201 against him.
His strength is his most desirable quality and with the bat, he is potentially a great prospect. The big league hitting coaches may have to work on his selectivity, since he has a propensity to swing at anything. But consistent power is a big plus. And just for the clarification, the MLB record is a home run in eight straight games, held jointly by Dale Long (1956), Don Mattingly (1987), and Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. (1992).